
Botley Has Cafés
The Mystery Eater (ME) and a friend went to sample Loomsbury in the
first week that it opened. The pink-and-baby-blue exterior sign gave way
to a yellow-and-green interior with attractive lights and a large, pinkish,
not-sure-what-to-call-it-but-maybe ‘bouquet’ at the back. After all the
Facebook hoopla, we were expecting the place to be heaving, and every
booth did have one person in it, but the atmosphere was relaxed and
quiet. It was easy to talk.
The ice creams and cakes were colourful and attractively laid out. We
ordered two cakes and drinks. There were no prices on anything and the
total ended up being more than £20. Ouch! The cakes arrived in a bowl,
with a thick layer of whipped frosting, and swimming in neon-coloured
sauces. They were tasty in an experimental, not-sure-if-I’d-want-this-
again way. The drinks didn’t come. And didn’t come. We flagged down
one of the charming staff and they finally did come, and were good.
A few days later the ME and another friend went to the Missing Bean.
The décor was less jarring, mostly wood and neutral colours, but the
seating was less comfortable: lots of people crammed together in a small
noisy place. The pricing was clear, and our two drinks and two cakes
cost less than £12. The cakes didn’t look as vibrant as those at
Loomsbury, but tasted like they were made with real ingredients, and
were very moreish. Our drinks arrived promptly.
Overall the ME thinks that Loomsbury would be good for families because
of its nice booths, ice cream, and bright colours… that is, if Loomsbury
could bring their prices down to a more manageable level. Being of a
more advanced age, the ME prefers the taste of the cakes at Missing
Bean, and the lower prices, but wishes that they had more generous,
comfortable seating.
There will be more reports from our Mystery Eater as Botley’s new
eateries open up. We welcome reviews from friends and neighbours.
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